Locomotive boiler



July 22, 1930. N. T. McKEE v 1,770,939

I OCUMOTIVE BoiLER Filed June 15, 1929 2 Sheets-She et 2 JNVENTOR.

A/EAL 7. M5 KEE A TTORNEY.

Patented July 22, 1930 unit; stares PATENT .rrlce NEAL T. MCKEE, or BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK, AssIeNon T0 GENERAL STEEL oestr- INGs CORPORATION, or enaur'rn CITY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE LOGOIVIOTIVE BOILER Application filed June 15,

some of the disadvantages of those at present in use.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings herewith, in which drawings Fig. 1 represents a central, longitudinal, vertical section through a locomotivefire-box with my invention in place; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2+2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2'; Fig. lis asection on line 1l of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are sections corresponding respectively to, Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, the fire-box comprises an outer sheet 1, inner sheet 2, back head 3, back'sheet 4 and throat sheets 5, all of the usual or any preferred construction. In practice these are suitably stayed. The legs each comprise an outer sheet 6 and an inner sheet 7 between which is placed the rectangular mud-ring, the sheets and the mud-ring being riveted together. In the ordinary practice, the mud-ring is a solid piece. Impurities precipitated in the water gradually collect in the lower parts of the water legs, accumulating on the mud-ring until the locomotive is washed out when this sludge is removed, being carried out by the wash-out water. lVhile the sludge is present, however, it interferes with the free heat transfer. from the inner sheets to the water in the water legs, and by doing so endangers the metal of the inner sheets of these legs at these points. The fire is immediately adjacent to the endangered points in the ordinary construction, the grates being so located that the fuel bed on them is directly opposite the endangered areas.

My invention contemplates a mud-ring which has a space provided in which the sludge will accumulate instead of lying in contact with the heated sheets, said space preferably being below the fire level. The

sheets are secured to the ring by means of the rivets 8 and the ring extends below the the chamber 10. The grate in this case is lower edges 9 of the sheet, said portion ex- 1929... Serial no. 371,155.

terior as shown at 10. This interi'orcavity preferably extends clear through the entire tending below theedges having a hollow ini bodyof the mud-ring. It isconnected to the upper surface of the'mud-ri'ng by a series of ducts 11. The bottom of the ring is'prefer, ably provided with a plurality of normally plugged cleaning apertures 12. Valved conareas of the inner sheets will remain substantially free from sludge and the danger. of

theirbeing injured by excessive heating is thereby minimized. The ducts 11are preferably so arranged that their upper ends are adjacent to the inner tubesheet sothat the removal of sludge is most effective adjacent to this sheet. \Vhen the locomotive is washed out, the current water circulating downward through the ducts. 1'1 and out through the wash-out plugs 12 and cocks 13 will thoroughly clean out all accumulations in the water legs andin the. cavity 10.- Whereas with the ordinary system of construction,

where there are blow-ofi and wash-out plugs at the corners only, the mud and sludge are apt tobe removed only from points adjacent tothese openings, the ducts 11 of my construction cause suchsludge to be drawn from points all along the bottom of the waterlegs as the boiler is blown 0E.

In the formof Figs. 5 and 6 the sheets 6 and 7 extend down to the lower surface'of the mud ring and the chamber lOis raised suificiently topermit the use of two rows of rivets- 8 below the cavity 10. A. further row of rivets 8is used through the portion of the mud-ring above thiscavity. Suitable connections for the removal of the sludge from the chamber 10 in this case are provided through thesheet 6 and thevertical adjacent wall of also so arranged that its upper surface does not lie below the upper surface of the mudring. The sludge accumulating in chamber 10 leaves the space adjacent to the sheet 7 clean so that the water in the water leg can again get into intimate contact with them and thus protect the sheets.

It is obvious that variations will in practice occur from the specific form illustrated and described herein but still within the scope of the spirit of the invention and of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described comprising a fire box with the usual water-legs on its sides, the combination with the sheets forming said water-legs of a mud-ring fitting between the sheets, a grate to carry a fuel bed at substantially the level of the upper surface of the ring, said ring having a cavity extending lengthwise and below the fuel bed, and ducts extending from its upper surface to the cavity, and means securing the sheets to the mud-ring, there being normally closed wash-out openings from the cavity.

2. In apparatus of the class described comprising a firebox with the usual waterlegs on its sides, the combination with the sheets forming said water-legs of a mud-ring fitting between the sheets, said ring having a cavity extending lengthwise and ducts extending from the cavity to the upper surface of the ring, and means securing the sheets to the mud-ring, the said cavity being below the points exposed to the direct heat in the firebox, there being normally closed wash-outopenings from the cavity.

3. In apparatus of the class described comprising a fire-box with the usual waterlegs on its sides, the combination with the sheets forming said water-legs of a mud-ring fitting between the sheets, said mud-ring having a hollow portion extending downward below the lower edges of the sheets around the four sides, there being ducts distributed along the mud-ring extending from the said hollow to the upper surface of the ring, and means securing the sheets to the mud-ring, there being normally closed washout openings from the hollow.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a firebox with the usual boiler water leg at its side, the combination'therewith of a mud ring fitting between the inner and outer sheets of the water leg, said ring having a hollow chamber below its upper surface, and ducts extending from points on its upper surface,

"in close proximity to said inner sheet, to said chamber, there being normally closed washout outlets leading from the interior of said chamber through the wall thereof to the exterior of the boiler.

5. An integral mud ring structure having a solid upper part extending substantially throughout the entire length of the ring and solid part leading to said hollow part through p which ducts sludge from above said ring may settle into said hollow part, and there being normally closed washout outlets in portions of the ring below said upper part leading from said hollow part to the exterior of the ring.

6. A mud ring having a substantially solid portion adapted to receive firebox sheet securing means, a hollow portion below said solid portion, there being a series of ducts through said solid portion to said hollow portion through which ducts sludge may drain free ly from between said sheets to said hollow portion, said hollow portion having at least one normally closed outlet below said ducts for washing out sludge gathered in said hollow portion.

7 In a mud ring, a hollow chamber, there being ducts leading from the upper surface of the ring, in close proximity to the inner side thereof, to said chamber and through which ducts sludge tending to accumulate on said upper surface adjacent to said inner side may drain to said chamber, there being normally closed washout outlets in the lower the mud ring. I

. NEAL T. MoKEE. 

